Plural compartment receptacle



July 18, 1961 J. E. GODING PLURAL COMPARTMENT RECEPTACLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 20, 1959 R m m w ATTORNEY y 1961 J. E. GODING 2,992,764

PLURAL COMPARTMENT RECEPTACLE Filed April 20, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR John E. God/0g ATTORNEY July 18, 1961 J. E. GODING 2,992,764

PLURAL COMPARTMENT RECEPTACLE Filed April 20, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4

IN VENTOR John E. God/0g ATTORNEY 2,992,764 Patented July 18, 196i 2,992,764 PLURAL COMPARTMENT RECEPTACL'E John E. Goding, 1004 W. Charles St., Grand Island, Nebr. Filed Apr. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 807,568 7 Claims. (Cl. 229-27) This invention relates to receptacles, and more specifically to receptacles which may be quickly assembled from sheet material for packaging commodities such as foodstuffs.

An object of this invention is to provide a receptacle which is easily produced from readily available materials and has worthwhile structural features for any of a variety of purposes such as for use in packaging products at the factory or by a merchant who is to hand over products neatly stored to a customer.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a receptacle having separate compartments in which articles of food or the like may be deposited, as for carry out from a restaurant, bakery, delicatessen, or the like, to prevent intermingling between the compartments of the products and to sustain orderliness while the products are in the receptacle.

Another object is to provide a receptacle unit having sequentially available upper and lower receptacle compartments and corresponding covers for the respective compartments.

Another object is that of providing a receptacle of the character indicated which can be shipped in flat form and readily erected when it is to be used.

A further object of the invention is that of providing a new and useful receptacle and blank for the same which in erected condition substantially simulates a house.

Other objects in part will be obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing representing a preferred embodiment of the present invention:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the receptacle may be produced;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the receptacle erected from the blank in FIGURE 1, the receptacle being in its fully opened position;

FIGURE 3 is an isometric section of a portion of the receptacle in FIGURE 2 showing the lower compartment and its corresponding cover in closed relation and the upper compartment cover in open position;

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of the same receptacle in its fully closed position;

FIGURE 5 is a detail view of a hook fastener;

FIGURE 6 represents the fastener in FIGURE 5 in engaged condition; and

FIGURE 7 corresponds to FIGURE 6 but is a View of the fastener in a somewhat different position of engagement.

Like reference characters denote like components throughout the several figures of the drawing.

As conducive to a clearer understanding of certain features of the present invention, it may be noted at this point that single compartment and plural compartment receptacles are in demand in a wide variety of packaging fields such as to accommodate different types of articles or even like articles in the available space. A great benefit often is derived through having the contents in several compartments of a single receptacle for storing, transporting and availability. To illustrate more specifically, restaurants, cafes, and the like, are presently turning more and more to providing their patrons with the convenience of carry out orders. In the past, certain receptacles used to store food products for transportation from the place of purchase to the point of consumption have been unsatisfactory in many respects. A very large variety of receptacles heretofore introduced for this purpose have been of the single compartment type and have failed to accommodate satisfactorily foods which would beneficially be kept apart. In disposing these foods directly on top of one another, there has sometimes been trouble from intermingling or crushing if at least some of the articles are inherently soft or compressible, such as pie, cake, or the like. Sometimes, too, single compartment receptacles have introduced objection in transporting hot and cold foods which because of the single compartment are necessarily placed in contact with each other causing the hot articles to cool more rapidly than if they are packaged and stored separately, and causing the cold articles to become warm before they are actually consumed.

Even in the instance of plural compartment receptacles, as distinguished from those which have but one compartment, it can be said that certain of the receptacles are structurally cumbersome, diflicult to make, handle and gain access to, and for a number of other reasons have failed satisfactorily to meet particular needs.

An outstanding object of this invention, accordingly, is the provision of a practical and highly satisfactory plural compartment receptacle which may be quickly and easily formed from a sheet unit or pre-cut. blank for accommodating any of a variety of articles of different or like kinds, such as foodstuffs, wherein the several compartments are readily accessible yet effectively separated so as to keep the contents of the compartments out of direct contact with each other from compartment to compartment.

As illustrative of the practice of this invention, there is provided a sheet unit A (see FIG. 1) such as of paper, cardboard, or the like, laminated or otherwise, which may be folded to form a plural compartment receptacle (see FIGURES 2, 3, and 4) comprising a lower receptacle 1, lower receptacle cover 2, and upper receptacle cover 3. The lower receptacle 1 includes a substantially rectangular bottom 4, side walls 5 and 6 extending from opposite sides of bottom 4, and end walls 29' and. 30 extending from the opposite ends of bottom 4. The ends of side wall 5 are provided with flap extensions 27 and 28 having hooked portions 27a and 28a respectively, and the ends of side wall 6 are provided with flap extensions 31 and 3-2 having hooked portions 31a and 3211 respectively. End wall 29 is provided with a pair of marginal slits 29a and 29b, and end wall 30 is similarly provided with a pair of marginal slits 30a and 30b. The purpose of extension flaps 27, 28, 31, and .3 2 and marg'nal slits 29a, 29b, 30a and 3012 will be explained more fully hereinafter. To construct the lower receptacle 1, from the blank in FIG- URE 1, side walls 5 and 6 are folded along score lines 17 and 18 respectively, and end walls 29 and 30 are folded along score lines 9 and 10 respectively to an upright position with respect to bottom 4. Extension flaps 27 and 28 of side wall 5 and extension flaps 31 and 32 of side wall 6 are then folded inwardly in overlapping relation with end walls 29 and 30, books 27a and 28a are inserted in slits 29a and 30a respectively, and hooks 31a and 32a are inserted in slits 29b and 30b respectively to interconnect the upright side and ends walls and thus form a lower receptacle compartment. Although the interlocked tongues and slits illustrate the preferred manner in which the side walls and end walls are interconnected, it is to be understood that the walls may be held together in any of a number of ways such as by the use of an adhesive substance between the flap extensions and end walls.

The lower receptacle 1 is provided with a cover 2 which hingedly extends from the upper extremity of a wall of one of the pairs of walls toward the opposite wall of the pair. In FIGURE 2 it will be seen that the cover 2 is hingedly secured along fold line 15 to the upper extremity of side wall and is adapted to be folded to cover the lower receptacle compartment defined by side walls 5 and 6 and end walls 29 and 30. Fold line preferably is in a plane which is substantially parallel to bottom 4. The lower receptacle cover 2 includes a cover panel 12 which preferably is provided along its side edges 12a and 12b with flap extensions 25 and 26 respectively which are folded to pass downward adjcent the end walls 29 and 30, respectively, into the lower receptacle compartment. These flaps, being angularly disposed relative to panel 12, rigidify the panel edges and accordingly reinforce the panel for supporting a load. Flaps 25 and 26 advantageously are made to have a vertical length, in the closed position of cover 2, substantially equal to the distance of fold line 15 from bottom 4, accordingly to extend downward within the receptacle 1 to the inside surface of bottom 4 thereof for maintaining panel 12 substantially parallel to the bottom and preventing the panel from collapsing inward such as when articles are placed on top of the panel. A flap extension 14 conveniently is on the free end 13 of panel 12 and is folded to pass downwardly within the lower receptacle compartment adjacent to side wall 6 when the cover 2 is being brought to closed position. Flap 14 accordingly reinforces the corresponding edge of the panel, and in certain instances may have a vertical length in the closed position of cover 2 which is substantially equal to the height of fold line 15 from bottom 4, thus contacting the inside surface of the bottom and supporting panel 12 in substantially parallel relation to the bottom when the lower receptacle cover is closed. The latter supporting eiiect may be achieved with or without flaps 25 and 26 being used in contact with bottom 4.

The upper receptacle cover 3 is hingedly secured to one of the upright walls of the lower receptacle 1, other than the upright wall to which lower receptacle cover 2 is secured, and is adapted to overlie the lower receptacle 1 and lower receptacle cover when the latter is in the closed position, accordingly forming an upper receptacle with the lower receptacle cover. Upper receptacle cover 3 in the present embodiment includes a cover panel 19 hingedly fastened along fold line 21 to the upper extremity of side wall 6, and a cover panel hingedly fastened to cover panel 19 along fold line 22. Cover panel 19 has triangular end flaps 33 and 34 hingedly fastened at its opposite ends, end flap 33 having a marginal slit 33a and a fastening hook 33b extending from edge 33c thereof, and end flap 34 having a marginal slit 34a, and a fastening book 3412 extending from edge 34c thereof. Cover panel 20, likewise, has triangular end flaps 35 and 36 hingedly fastened at its opposite ends, end flap 35 having a marginal slit 35a, and a fastening hook 35b extending from edge 35c thereof, and end flap 36 having a similar marginal slit 36a, and fastening hook 36b extending from edge 36c thereof. The fastening hooks and marginal slits of the triangular end flaps at corresponding ends of panels 19 and 20 are positioned so as to interengage adjacent pairs of triangular end flaps to form opposed triangular end walls of the upper receptacle cover 3. The upper receptacle cover 3 is constructed by folding panels 19 and 20 along fold line 22 to form oppositely inclined cover panels, and folding triangular end flaps 33, 34, 35, and 36 inwardly with respect to the folded panels 19 and 20. Triangular end flaps 33 and 35, at the corresponding ends of panels 19 and 20, respectively, are then interlocked by inserting fastening hook 33b of flap 33 in slit 35a of flap 35, and inserting fastening hook 35b of flap 35 in slit 33a of flap 33. Similarly, triangular end flaps 34 and 36 at the op posite ends of panels 19 and 20 respectively are interlocked by inserting fastening hook 34b of flap 34 in slit 36a of flap 36, and inserting fastening hook 36b of flap 36 in slit 34a of flap 34.

When employing hooks and slits for fastening together the flaps or walls of the receptacle, it is preferred that the hooks and slits have features in accordance with FIG- URES 5, 6, and 7. In these figures, hook 27a associated with side flap 27 and slit 29a in end wall 29 are depicted and will be described with the understanding that hooks 28a, 31a, 32a, 33b, 34b, 35b, and 36b and their corresponding slits preferably afford features consistent with those afforded by the hook and slit about to be described. Slit 29a is so shaped (see FIGURE 5) as to produce a tab 29d having an edge 29a which is free to be depressed so that the hook may more readily enter the slit 29a, the hook 27a being dimensioned for insertion bodily through the slit and having a transverse notch 27c. Slit 29a also is so shaped as to produce a re-entrant edge 29 inside the boundaries of end Wall 29. A portion 29g of edge 29 extends transversely to the length of hook 27a, and a portion 2% of this same edge extends outward away from the hook in the general direction of the length of the hook. As represented in FIGURE 6, hook 27a accordingly may be inserted bodily through slit 29a so that the hook overlies the inside face of tab 29d and is behind portion 29h of re-entrant edge 29 Escape is prevented by reason of the impediment afforded by transverse portion 29g of the re-entrant edge 29 In accordance with FIGURE 7, hook 27a may be effectively engaged by inserting tip 27b of the hook into overlapping relation with the inside surface of end wall 29 behind portion 29h of the re-entrant edge 29f, and escape is blocked by transverse portion 29g of edge 29 the remainder of the hook being outside the end Wall 29 where the hook can be readily grasped for quick knockdown of the receptacle.

The upper receptacle cover 3 is equipped with a fastening component which may be engaged with the body of the lower receptacle to hold the upper receptacle cover closed. For this purpose the cover panel 20 conveniently is provided with a tongue 24 hingedly fastened to the outer edge of the panel at fold line 23. The corresponding fastener component on the body of the lower receptacle may simply be a slit 16 proximate to the fold line 15 between the lower receptacle side wall 5 and cover panel 12, which slit accommodates tongue 24 as will be seen in FIGURE 4. Slit 16 may coincide with fold line 15 intermediate the length of the latter so as to allow the upper receptacle cover 3 to come all the way to the top edge of side Wall 5, thus increasing the area of cover panel 12 exposed inside the upper receptacle compartment. In the closed condition of receptacle cover 3, triangular end flaps 33 and 35 preferably are vertically aligned with end wall 29 in substantially the same plane, and likewise end flaps 34 and 36 preferably are in the same vertical plane as end wall 30.

It is convenient for the merchant, restaurant owner, or other person who is to package given commodities, to have on hand a supply of blanks A and to assemble plural compartment receptacles from the blanks as the receptacles are needed. The compartment of the lower receptacle 1 is packed with goods and thereafter the lower receptacle cover 2 is closed. The outside surface of the cover 2 then is loaded with goods, following which the upper receptacle cover 3 is closed forming an upper receptacle around the goods on cover 2 which serves as bottom. It will be seen that the carton is easy to produce and charge with the goods which it is to contain, and of further importance the carton affords several compartments for the goods by employing a cover for one of the compartments as a bottom for another of the compartments, this being conducive to compactness, and savings in materials from which the carton is made. The several covers are interrelated so that they may be rotated out of the way until needed while the plural compartment receptacle is being filled and yet may easily be brought into closing position or moved to gain access to the goods after closing. Ease of manipulation of the covers and handling of the receptacle during opening or closing is considerably improved by having the respective covers hingedly situated on opposite walls of the lower receptacle, and the latter arrangement therefore is preferred, an embodiment having been set forth with reference to the several figures of the accompanying drawing.

The triangular shaped upper receptacle cover gives the plural compartment receptacle the outside appearance of a house or building having a sloping roof. Often the receptacle is provided with printed designs such as windows, doors and roofing on the outside whereby the receptacle may for example be transformed into a toy for children after it has served its packaging use.

Thus it will be seen that in this invention a receptacle is provided having separate compartments which are intel-related in a highly satisfactory manner with respect to themselves and to covers so as to house goods in an effectively enclosed fashion, that the receptacles have structural features which contribute strength, ease of handling and accessibility to the available space, and that in accordance with the invention the Various objects hereinbefore noted together with many thoroughly practical advantages may be achieved.

While considerable emphasis has been placed upon plural compartment receptacles having an upper receptacle cover which is triangular in cross section, and while ease of assembly and strength are contributed to by the particular cross section, it will be distinctly understood that the upper receptacle cover still in accordance with the practice of this invention may be of other forms such as a form having a rectangular cross section instead of triangular. Likewise, the bottom of the lower receptacle compartment may at times be other than rectangular, still having upstanding walls thereon to form the lower receptacle compartment.

As many possible embodiments of the invention may be made and as many possible changes may be made in the embodiment herein set forth, it will be distinctly understood that all matter described herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not as a limitation.

I claim:

1. A plural compartment receptacle formed from a sheet unit and having a substantially rectangular bottom, a pair of opposed side walls upright on said bottom, a pair of opposed end walls upright on said bottom, said end walls having marginal slits and said side walls having flaps with hooks extending through said slits and engaging said walls together in the upright positions of the walls thus producing a lower receptacle compartment, and a lower receptacle cover on the upper extremity of one of said side walls for closing said lower receptacle compartment and having a fold line for hinging with respect to said upper extremity, accordingly providing a lower receptacle body, and an upper receptacle cover having two oppositely inclined panels, one of said panels extending from the upper extremity of the other of said side walls and having a fold line for hinging with respect to the latter side wall, and the other of said panels having a tongue for insertion through a corresponding slit in the lower receptacle body proximate to the fold line existing between said lower receptacle cover and the upper extremity of the corresponding side wall, triangular end flaps on the ends of the upper receptacle cover panels, said triangular flaps having marginal slits and hooks corresponding to said slits for interengaging adjacent pairs of said triangular flaps and so producing opposite ends of said upper receptacle cover that when said tongue is inserted in the corresponding slit said upper receptacle cover forms an upper receptacle compartment with the lower receptacle cover, the outside surface of said lower receptacle cover being the bottom surface of said upper receptacle compartment.

2. A plural compartment receptacle formed from a sheet unit and having a substantially rectangular bottom, a pair of opposed side walls upright on said bottom, a pair of opposed end walls upright on said bottom, said end walls having marginal slits and said side walls having flaps with hooks extending through said slits and engaging said walls together in the upright positions of the walls thus producing a lower receptacle compartment, and a lower receptacle cover on the upper extremity of one of said side walls for closing said lower receptacle compartment and having a fold line for hinging with respect to said upper extremity, and an upper receptacle cover having two oppositely inclined panels, one of said panels extending from the upper extremity of the other of said side walls and having a fold line for hinging with respect to the latter side wall, and triangular end flaps on the ends of the upper receptacle cover panels, said triangular flaps having marginal slits and hooks corresponding to said slits for interengaging adjacent pairs of said triangular flaps and producing opposite ends of said upper receptacle cover, said ends and panels forming an upper receptacle compartment with the lower receptacle cover, the outside surface of said lower receptacle cover being the bottom surface of said upper receptacle compartment.

3. A plural compartment receptacle formed from a sheet unit and having a substantially rectangular bottom, a pair of opposed side walls upright on said bottom, a pair of opposed end walls upright on said bottom, said end walls having marginal slits and said side walls having flaps with hooks extending through said slits and engaging said walls together in the upright positions of the walls thus producing a lower receptacle compartment, and a lower receptacle cover on the upper extremity of one of said side walls for closing said lower receptacle compartment and having a fold line lying in a plane substantially parallel to said bottom for hinging with respect to said upper extremity, at least one flap on the lower receptacle cover and having a length substantially equivalent to the distance of said fold line above said bottom to contact the inside surface of the bottom and accordingly support said cover substantially parallel to said bottom, and an upper receptacle cover having two oppositely inclined panels, one of said panels extending from the upper extremity of the other of said side walls and having a fold line for hinging with respect to the latter side wall, and triangular end flaps on the ends of the upper receptacle cover panels, said triangular flaps having marginal slits and hooks corresponding to said slits for interengaging adjacent pairs of said triangular flaps and producing opposite ends of said upper receptacle cover, said ends and panels forming an upper receptacle compartment with the lower receptacle cover, the outside surface of said lower receptacle cover being the bottom surface of said upper receptacle compartment.

4. A plural compartment receptacle of the character set forth in claim 3, and having opposite .side flaps on the lower receptacle cover to contact the inside surface of said bottom accordingly to support said cover against collapsing inward.

5. A plural compartment receptacle of the character set forth in claim 3, and having a flap on the lower receptacle cover adjacent to the side wall opposite the side wall to which said lower receptacle cover is hinged, thus to contact the inside surface of said bottom and accordingly support said lower receptacle cover against collapsing inward.

6. A plural compartment receptacle of the character set forth in claim 3 in which at least some of said slits corresponding to the hooks on said flaps delineate tabs having free edges which may be displaced for insertion of the hooks in the slits.

7. A plural compartment receptacle of the character set forth in claim 6, in which said hooks have re-entrant edges, each of which edges extends both transversely of the corresponding hook and generally in the direction of the length of said hook.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,748,256 Tinsley Feb. 25, 1930 1,805,371 Molins May 12, 1931 1,899,772 Richardson Feb. 28, 1933 2,003,600 Lowenfels June 4, 1935 2,352,927 Whitehead July 4, 1944 2,784,898 George Mar. 12, 1957 

